Insecticide dispenser



pt. 3. 1940- J. P. FULLILOVE 7 2,213,491

INSECTICIDE DISPENSER Filed June 10, 1939 M wa W 33M; 84M

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES INSECTICIDE DISPENSER Jack P. Fullilove, ShrevcporaLa. Application June 10, 1939, Serial No. 278,539 5 Claims. (01. 91-49 This invention relates to an improved insecticide dispenser of the type designed to be rotatably mounted on an ambulatory carrier for movement into contact with field plants or the like against which its contents are to be discharged.

The only known prior devices of this type are disclosed in United States Letters Patents, No. 1,504,818 and No. 2,158,115, granted to me on August 12, 1924 and May 16, 1939 respectively, in both of which one or more liquid dispensers of drum-like form is disposed on a horizontal axis for rotation in a direction reverse to that of the vehicle wheels. The object in most instances is to mop the undersides of the plant leaves with poisonous liquid that flows from the drum interiors to their outer cylindrical surfaces.

.In the last issued patent, No. 2,158,115 there is shown a cylindrical drum having a series of peripheral annular ridges separated by a series of perforated annular channels, with a layer of cloth or the like tied around the, drum to receive liquid from the drum, the cloth serving as a mop for directly applying the liquid to the plant leaves. This patented form of dispenser is entirely satisfactory under some conditions and can be utilized with a reasonable degree of success under all conditions, but it leaves something to be desired where the liquid flow must be controlled or regulated accurately by an inexperienced operator.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to devise a mopping type of liquid dispenser in which there is a free liquid flow around the periphery of the container and-in which the mop is uniformly wetted by the limited quantity of liquid that is freely supplied to it.

It is another major object of this invention to provide a method and means for easily regulating or varying the flow of liquid in a device of the character under discussion, This object preferably is accomplished in association with accomplishment of the preceding object.

These and more detailed and related objects of my invention will clearly appear upon a study of the following full description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and the appended claims. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of the present invention with its channelbridging screen in partial section and with its mop cloth shown only partially applied.

Figure 2 is an end view of the dispensing unit of Figure 1, with the mop cloth fully applied and tied in position.

Figure 3 is a'viewv similar to Figure 1 and showing the'same embodiment with the'mop partiallycut away and with the screen partially cut to show a flow regulating means.

Figure 4 represents a cross section taken on the plane of line 6+4 removed. v

With continued reference to the drawing, wherein like characters are employed .to' desigin Figure 3 with the mop nate like parts the dispenser per se consists 'est. sentially of a hollow drum D that is closed extation with a shaft -5 that is disposed transversely of ayehicle (not shown) at asuitable distance above the ground and driven by any suitable mechanism such, for'example, as: thatshown in the abovementioned patents; To thisenduthe illustrated form of dispenser hasa hollow sleeve 6 extending axially ltherethrough in sealed relation to the drum ends, this sleeve receiving the ter by means of a set-'-screw. l.'-. -As; previously stated, it usually is preferable that thefdrumwrotate reversely to the vehicle wheel. or wheels so that the periphery of the dispenser will wipeiithe undersides of the plant leaves. a r

The drum forms a reservoirs-for a plant treating material such, forexample; as a poisonous liquid solution and it hasa filler cap 8ifor adding and replenishing the supply of .matenal.

Radial discharge of the material takes place,

through a plurality of ports 9 that open outwardly and that are located within a senesof channels or depressions ill which separate a series of annular ridges I2;- The purpose ofjthis arrangement is to causelthe-insecticide to trickle into the channels and then spread circumferen tially within said channels so that substemtially the entire drum surface is uniformly wetted with the object of thoroughly and uniformly soaking the mop M. It is desirable that two or more ports 9 be provided for each channel, and preferably all of the ports of theseveral channels will be grouped at one side of the drum so that shaft 5 and being adjustable axial-lyzof thelatpreclude excess leakage in an axial direction along the cylindrical part of the drum. The mop may take the form of a prefabricated cylindrical sleeve having elastic ends that snugly engage the drum ends. Before the mop M is added to the assembly, however, the screen S is interposed to form a bridgework that prevents the fabric from entering and clinging to the channels to interfere with free liquid circulation and/or choke the ports Thescreen S preferably comprises a simple wire screen material either preformed in the shape of a cylindrical sleeve of adequate length or applied in the form of a sheet that has its edges interlocked or overlapt after it has been bent to cylindrical shape. The edges and the ends of the screen may be 7 soldered together and/or to the drum for permanence." The ma terial and form of this device may vary within wide latitudes, the only prerequisites being that it must permit free and uniform radial flow of the'liquid and that it must have sufficient rigidity to hold the mop fabric away from the bottoms of the channels IU." Therefore; it may consist of a'hardware cloth 'of about @inch mesh size, or the equivalent in'perforated sheet metal, or the like. It is shorter, of course, than the mop so that the mop fabric'may' be tied into direct sealin'g contact with the drum ends.

' The use of the screens, andits characteristic of substantial rigidity permits the employment of :a' 'si'mple means for controlling and regulating 'the newer. liquid from'the drum. Any one or -more of the ports Q-may'beclosed or choked by a wad l of relatively yieldingrmaterial held in place by the adjacent part of the screen, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The wads l5 may be formed of'sm'all pieces of scrap cloth, sponge rubber-or any other suitable material that can be inserted through the'screen openings'and there- 1 after 'jammed'into position. If desired they may :taketh'e' form of'plugs that have their inner ends pushed intothe ports and subsequently held in suchp'osition by engagement of the mop with -their'outer ends; 4 I The'mode of functioning of the described apparatus is be1ieVedito1be fair1y obvious from the foregoing description." Rotationcof the drum D agitat'e's its contents": aridcauses' the latter to emerge through a'stmanyofrthe: ports 9 as are "open. The discharged? material then Itrickles freely'through the channels In and is.distributed uniformly outwardly through .the screen 5 into the 'inop M, which becomes uniformly impregnated 'or soaked with the material and applies it -to"the plant 1eaves.1 as it wipes or rubs the latter.

Addition'of 'orieor-more'wads [5 reduces the total output, and by proper selection of the ports to'bechoked the insecticide distribution may be varied throughout the effective applicator area of the mop. I l

The channel depth is exaggerated somewhat in the drawing, and obviously may be less or greater within the scope of the invention. This and various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and. therefore I wish to be limited, as is customary only by such restrictions as are necessarily present in the appended claims to distinguish over the prior art.

What is claimed is: j

1. In combination, aldispensing'drum having means for rotatably mounting it on a carriage or the like, said drum having a corrugated portion more than one of said channels for dispensing the contents of the container a mop covering said channels and secured in engagement with said end zones,and means for bridging said channels underneath said mop and provided with perforations greater in number than said apertures.

3. In combination, a cylindrical drum having a plurality of annular ported grooves arranged in parallelism on its periphery, a wire mesh screen surrounding all of said grooves, and a sheet of :absorbent fabric-snuglyhousing said screen and extendingbeyond the edges of the-latter to enfgag'e' the ends'of the drum.

4; In the: coinbination defined inclaim 3, each groove having; 'a'plurality of ports, and means for chokingiat; least one of the ports, said means comprising a device designed to engage the port 'edge and also to engage the screen.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a container havingaplurality of spaced channels oii itsouter surface with apertures in at least someof said channels for-dispensing. the contents of the container, a mop covering said channels, a relatively stiff sheet of perforated material disposed ibetween said mop and said container to bridge said channels, and means for individually and selectively closing one or more ofsaid apertures, said closing means comprising one or more elements engaged by said sheetand pressed therebyinto close association with one or more apertures. 

